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Upon arrival to Sancti Magicae, the next class on my illustrious schedule of sour jests, Priestess Serrina tried to outshine the majesty of the planetarium by dressing in blinding white robes. As I entered through the door, her smile was nearly invisible when she greeted me that afternoon. "Sifa keep thee."
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"And thee as well."
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Roy, on the other hand, was goofy, unwieldy, and smelled of immature want. "Pollux! Sifa keep thee. How’re you?" he ballooned right in front of me.
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"I'm fine." That's when I leaned on the safety of my desk. Naturally, he pulled the seat from underneath the next one, folding his hands with bubbling anticipation. Those pasty dimples were something else.
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"I'm curious. What does your schedule look like?" he exclaimed.
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"Why are you asking?" Dear fattie.
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"Oh, no reason. I did not see you at all yesterday, so I thought we might have different classes this semester, despite us both being first years. That would have made me sad. I am awful at most things. I’m like you, except it’s my head that’s broken."
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And your tact… but you’re not wrong, my sugary stalker."Yesterday, I sat through Crata, Herbalism, and Arcane Admonitions, if you’re so curious."
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"Oh, so you're starting Arcane and Holy in one semester. The same semester?"
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"Why not?"
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"I hear they're very incompatible and difficult to practice at the same time. Scripture does not require use Crata, after all. It’s Zealic."
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Once again, dough boy Roy had a point. Principally, the difference between arcane and creed schools of magic comes down to the Incantation vs the Chant. It's like learning two different languages. Arcane starts with Crata. Crata is just the Elder Tongue alphabet, the first step to Incantation.
Chants, on the other hand, require a memory of Sacred Verse… or Zealic. It’s like Elder Tongue, but not as old. Moreover, chants do not require Mara; off the top of my head, I can't remember exactly what the chant does require. I’m certain Priestess Serrina knew.
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"Consider, class, the relationship between faith and recitation..." In the middle of her lecture, I could already feel the doubt creeping up on me, doubt that I could wield holy magic. I didn’t want to serve the Ecclesia. I wanted to be a Maister, master the elements and see the world. So, every time I read the Sacred Verse, seething uncertainty lifted the hairs on my skin. It is difficult to explain the sensations that gripped me in that period.
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Meanwhile, Roy took enough notes to compensate for every gap in my knowledge. His head floated toward Serrina's words, even as he scribbled entire pages. He only ever reserved that kind of focus for this class. He absolutely loved Zealic and learning about the Ecclessia. Imagine the power he could wielded if he had devoted himself likewise to every course. I thought, Maybe, he will make a good priest one day.
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"Pollux."
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I looked up, and the avowed eyes of the priestess pierced my spirit.
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"Wouldst thou venture a demonstration?"
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"Umm, certainly." I didn’t understand why, out of a pool of 60 inept students, I was the least inept. Impostor syndrome accompanied me all the way to the tidal center of the sanctum, godly rays glistening along my path. The pit of my stomach felt heavy, like I’d swallowed a ball of doubt. And doubt was made of iron. The dour walk was long until I was just an arm's length from our fair priestess, glancing up at the ceiling of stars. Oh, how peaceful that fake night cieling felt.
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"Now, recite the verse as we had practiced."
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Practically shivering out of their sockets, my hands came together. “Luss et cain kella neth…” Needless to say, I felt uncomfortable with rows of students quietly staring down at me, judging me. None of it matters, I told myself. Then, my mind began to clear of fog.
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"Contricioun."
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Don't think. I decided I would simply do and let the energy course between my arms and my fingers, letting the light do as it willed. The other students and priestess Serrina were watching. I closed my eyes, lest I be blinded by the light as a heavy, prickly sensation rippled through me. Was I the caster at this point, or did the light guide me?
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"Wonderful!" Priestess Serrina was ecstatic about something.
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"Blessed are the guardians!" a student lauded.
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Are those prayers I hear?
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I opened my eyes.
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Some of the students were praying. Roy was among them. I almost forgot that Cinderfall was full of devoute followers. Well, there lay my disconnection.
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See, I never had faith. Religious faith. General faith. Not that I loathed religion. I’d call it apathy. Nothing about my life lent weight to the idea that some dutiful diety was looking out for us. Then again, we could all witness the Lords' magic before our very eyes, so why wouldn't some people believe?
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"Thank you, Pollux. You make take your seat." The priestess had a very warm smile. Up close, her expression was serene, and her green eyes shimmered. I think the white hood concealed her true beauty, beauty that did away with some of the predilections about the convent. Despite the rumors, I never believed that they were all hags with rulers up their asses. Hags live in the wild.
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That faint moment of success nearly floundered by the wayside when I wobbled up the aisle. At least, our little demonstration went better than last time. Past the eyes of adolescence and saint statues, Roy was trying to pry my secrets open with his gaze as I was taking my seat.
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"That was amazing!" he said. “Praise to The Three.”
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I shrugged. "It was. I can't argue." I didn’t know I could cast holy magic like that.
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"What will you do next?"
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"Sit down."
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"This is why you should be my tutor. You are so talented!"
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"Hmm." I was considering it, only because it was an opportunity to make Roy more palatable.
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"Sly girl, you are very skilled."
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Who said that? On the other side of me, it was Elise sneaking up from underneath the seat and acting like she was there all along.
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I jumped. "When did you get here?"
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"Just now."
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"Melisande!" Serrina thundered, "Don't think I didn't catch thee sneaking in here. Why, prithee, art thou recklessly unpunctual?"
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"I ran into a Rapiertooth."
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"The Lords will tally all lies of thine, sultry girl. Next time, there will be a penalty!" Our dear priestess seemed so calm yet so prickly.
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"Why are you really late?" I whispered.
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"I already told you. A Rapiertooth." Her deadpan expression was a talent. Maybe, I shouldn’t have been surprised that she had secrets. "What did I miss?"
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"Pollux is going to be my Tome Study tutor," said Roy.
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"Really now?" Melisande's brow rose. "So, is that your affinity?"
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Nope. "I didn't say that."
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"You should," she said frivolously. "You should tutor both of us."
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I leered at her. “Since when do you need help?”
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"I'm no good at Tome Study. I dislike Zealic, but I can already tell it’s going to hurt my seal this semester."
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"Mmmm."
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"Will you do it?" Roy coughed. "Because if you tutor her, you have to tutor me."
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"Fine."
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He clenched his fists like a victorious toddler. "Yes!"
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I at once second-guessed that decision. Oh well, there was no time for regrets, not during what was to come
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